2013 Bhutanese National Assembly election
![]() | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
All 47 seats in the National Assembly 24 seats needed for a majority | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Turnout | 66% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
![]() |
---|
Background
By law, the National Assembly is required to be reconstituted within 90 days of its previous term expiring. As the term of the Assembly elected in 2008 expired on 20 April 2013, this meant that the new Assembly would need to have been elected by 20 July.[3]
Electoral system
The election was held in two rounds. In the first round every party contested all 20
A total of 381,790 voters were registered for the election.[4] The election date for the first round was made a public holiday, with all businesses required to close on the day.[5] Over 4,000 electronic voting machines were provided by India for the election.[6]
Campaign
Four parties contested the election; the ruling
Results
The voting process was a challenge due to the mountainous terrain as officials had to trek for seven days to set up some polling stations.[10]
As a result of the election, Tshering Tobgay is expected to be named Prime Minister of the new government,[8] to form once a 10-day "petition period" for electoral complaints to be heard has finished.[6] Three women were elected, with Dorji Choden of the PDP expected to be Bhutan's first female minister.[6]
![]() | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | First round | Second round | Seats | +/– | |||
Votes | % | Votes | % | ||||
People's Democratic Party | 68,650 | 32.53 | 138,760 | 54.88 | 32 | +30 | |
Druk Phuensum Tshogpa | 93,949 | 44.52 | 114,093 | 45.12 | 15 | −30 | |
Druk Nyamrup Tshogpa | 35,962 | 17.04 | 0 | New | |||
Druk Chirwang Tshogpa | 12,457 | 5.90 | 0 | New | |||
Total | 211,018 | 100.00 | 252,853 | 100.00 | 47 | 0 | |
Registered voters/turnout | 381,790 | – | 381,790 | – | |||
Source: Electoral Commission of Bhutan a, b c |
Reactions and analysis
Prime Minister of India Manmohan Singh sent the PDP a message of congratulations, assuring Bhutan of India's "steadfast and unflinching support."[8]
The PDP victory was considered an upset by the media.[10]
References
- ^ a b Notification on Second Parliamentary Elections 2013: National Assembly Archived 7 September 2013 at the Wayback Machine Election Commission of Bhutan
- ^ a b c d Ahmad, Omair (15 June 2013). "Experiments With Democracy in Bhutan". The New York Times. Retrieved 19 July 2013.
- ^ The likely assembly election periods Archived 22 April 2016 at the Wayback Machine KCD Productions
- ^ Nearly 400,000 voters for National Assembly’s elections BBS News, 5 May 2013
- ^ Second Parliamentary Elections 2013: National Assembly Poll Day for the Primary Round Archived 5 November 2013 at the Wayback Machine Election Commission of Bhutan, 28 May 2013
- ^ a b c "Bhutan's Election Commission completes polls process, hands over MP list to King". DNA India. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
- ^ "Bhutan votes in key elections". BBC. 31 May 2013.
- ^ a b c d "Bhutan opposition party wins parliament election after calling for stronger ties with India". The Washington Post. 14 July 2013. Archived from the original on 16 July 2013. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
- ^ Ahmad, Omair. "Bhutan's second general elections: A big win for democracy". The Times of India. The Economic Times. Retrieved 15 July 2013.
- ^ a b c "Bhutan's opposition party scores upset win". Al Jazeera. 13 July 2013. Retrieved 15 July 2013.